Patrick O’Donovan wants us to leave his health out of it. If only it were so simple

The Irish Times · Justine McCarthy · 2026-11-06 06:00 UTC

We shouldn’t ask if Patrick O’Donovan is right for his job but if the job is right for him

Patrick O’Donovan boasted at the start of this year that he had the best job in the Government.

“There isn’t a day in the life of an Irish person that is not touched by my department,” he told the Irish Examiner in January.

Now the seat of the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport is empty and the floor in the Cabinet room is carpeted in eggshells. Who’s afraid to speak of the minister’s ill health? Everyone, it seems – unless it’s strictly entre nous, off the record and not for quoting.

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